Google Assistant Could Be Coming to iPhone

Although Apple’s tightly controlled ecosystem often leads to a fast, hassle-free, and smooth experience, there are some areas where Apple’s software just doesn’t hold the number one spot. Take Apple Maps, for example – after years of poor performance, stumbles, and mishaps, further development has finally made Apple Maps an impressive piece of software. However, in terms of accuracy, features, and overall performance, Apple Maps still lags behind Google Maps.

That may hold true for personal digital assistants, as well. Although it hasn’t even been available for a full year yet, Google Assistant is already superior to Siri in several ways. While both certainly have their strengths and weaknesses, Google Assistant handles natural language as well as contextual and follow-up queries better than Siri does, and it works flawlessly with Google’s incredible suite of apps. Even those who aren’t sold on Google Assistant yet are forced to admit the massive amount of potential the personal assistant has.

And it could be headed to the iPhone.

Although he didn’t directly come out and say it, at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona, Spain this past weekend, Google’s product management director Gummi Hafsteinsson hinted that Google Assistant may be making its way to the iPhone. “I do not think we have any to announce at this point,” Hafsteinsson told Geekster. “But I think the general philosophy is that we would like to have the Assistant available to as many people as possible.” Google Assistant is, at the moment, only available on Google’s Pixel line of smartphones and a handful of other Android phones, as well as Android Wear 2.0, but Hafsteinsson’s statement came soon after he announced that Google Assistant would soon be available on Android TV and Android Auto, as well.

Apple doesn’t currently allow integration of third-party personal digital assistants into their operating systems, and it’s unlikely that they will do so in the future. However, for iOS users that regularly use Gmail, Google Maps, Google Chrome, Hangouts, Allo, Google Photos, and any of Google’s other mobile apps, the addition of Google Assistant to the iPhone could be very exciting. Neither Apple nor Google have released an official statement on the matter, although there is speculation that Apple will be looking to beef up Siri’s capabilities at the next Worldwide Developers Conference this coming June.